2 . When considering the kind of experience that makes life better, most people first think that happiness depends on experiencing pleasure: good food, good jobs, all the comforts that money can buy. If we couldn’t have these, we might as well sit in front of the television on a quiet evening.

Pleasure is an important part of the quality of life, but by itself it doesn’t bring happiness. When people think further about what makes a worthy life, they tend (倾向于) to move beyond pleasant memories and begin to remember other events, other experiences that overlap (有重叠) pleasurable ones but fall into a group with a separate name: enjoyment. Enjoyable events take place when people have not only satisfied a need or met some earlier expectation, but also achieved something unexpected.

Enjoyment is characterized by a sense of curiosity, of achievement. Playing a tennis game that improves one’s ability is enjoyable, as is reading a book that shows things in a new light, as is having a conversation that leads us to express ideas we didn’t know we had. None of these experiences may be especially pleasurable when they are taking place, but when we think back on them afterwards, we would say, “That really was fun” and wish they would happen again. After an enjoyable event we know that we have changed, and grown.

Experiences that give pleasure can also give enjoyment, but the two feelings are quite different. For example, everybody takes pleasure in eating. However, to enjoys food is more difficult — you have to pay enough attention to a meal, so as to sense and tell its various tastes. As this example suggests, we can experience pleasure without any psychic energy, while enjoyment happens only as a result of full attention. A person can feel pleasure without any effort, as long as certain parts in his brain are stimulated (刺激). But it’s impossible to enjoy a tennis game or a book without full attention. It’s for this reason that pleasure does not last long, nor does it make us grow. Growth requires full attention to goals that are new, that are relatively challenging.

Without enjoyment, life will go on, and it can even be pleasant. But it depends heavily on luck and the external (外部的) environment. To achieve personal control over the quality of experience, however, we need to learn how to build enjoyment into what happens day in, day out.

1. You will most probably experience enjoyment when you ________.

A．buy expensive shoes	B．order a delicious meal
C．talk with friends for new ideas	D．sit quietly in front of a television

2. What do you know about pleasure and enjoyment from the passage?

A．Enjoyment grows out of pleasure.

B．Pleasure and enjoyment come hand in hand.

C．Pleasurable experiences are part of enjoyable ones.

D．Some experiences provide both pleasure and enjoyment.

3. The words “psychic energy” in Paragraph 4 are closest in meaning to ________.

A．attention

B．interest

C．ability

D．knowledge

4. The writer probably agrees that ________.

A．feeling pleasure stops people from achieving growth

B．feeling enjoyment comes with achieving growth

C．a worthy life depends on luck and environment

D．pleasure is the key to a happy and worthy life

3 . Computer scientist Mary has an idea for a new robot to help her work with children. How should it look? The robot should have arms to be able to lift things. And if it is going to communicate with people, it will also need a face. Scientists believe that giving a robot a face can make it seem more friendly. Humans would also like to pay more attention to robots with faces. But what kind?

For Mary, she wants to make sure that her new robot doesn’t look too much like a human. She wants people to just treat it as a machine-person. If it looks more like a human than a machine, she thinks users might find it a bit creepy and feel afraid. Mary also believes that robot faces don’t need to look a lot like ours. Her research shows that we can enjoy communicating with robots whether or not they look like humans, because our brains are able to look for faces. Just put two circles on top of a robot’s body, and we will see a face.

Dave feels differently. He believes that although at first we might be afraid when seeing a robot with a lifelike face, we may soon get used to it. If robots are going to work closely with humans, they should look as much like us as possible. After all, faces are an important part of the way we communicate.

To make his robots look as much like real people as possible, Dave invented a special skin (皮肤) for their faces. With this skin, robots can show human-like expressions and appear to be angry, sad, happy or surprised. Dave’s robots are also programmed to copy expressions. How? Just imagine his robot is looking at you. The cameras in its eyes send pictures of your face to its central computer!

1. Why do scientists think a robot needs a face?

A．It will become more beautiful.	B．It can do better in lifting things.
C．It will pay more attention to children.	D．It can better communicate with people.

2. What does the underlined word “creepy” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Uncomfortable to look at.	B．Impossible to touch.
C．Boring to talk to.	D．Difficult to understand.

3. Which of the following would Dave most probably agree with?

A．People should treat robots as humans.

B．Robots need to express their own feelings.

C．Robots shouldn't look too much like humans.

D．People can easily accept robots with a human face.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To explain the reasons why robots should have faces.

B．To suggest what humans can do with robots with faces.

C．To share ideas on what kind of faces robots should have.

D．To show how scientists invent robots with different faces.

4 . Progress means the act of going forward. Making any kind of progress can make us healthy and happy in life. By setting and actively working towards our goals, we can make progress in our life.

To make more progress in life, start looking at problems in a different way. Whatever happens, if we think positively, it can be useful and helpful. We need to know that problems are part of our life. After we solve problems one after another, we can make more progress and become stronger.

Having confidence (信心) is helpful for us to make progress. Confidence comes from different places, such as proper education, training or having good relationships. We should also stay with people who believe in our success and actively support us. These people can help push us towards progress.

Slow progress is still progress. Just as the old saying goes, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” Progress usually comes a lot more slowly than we expect. Even if progress is slow, try not to be worried. One important thing is that we keep taking steps towards our goals, and another is that we clearly remember what our goals are all the time. The actual speed isn’t important.

The road to progress is not always smooth. Most progress often comes with setbacks along the way. Sometimes, maybe it feels like we’re taking one step forward and three steps back, but it won’t always be like that. Keep going towards our goals and we can much more easily make the progress we want.

Progress doesn’t always happen in a straight line. As long as we keep working, we will achieve higher levels.

1. What does progress make us do?

A．Set lifelong goals.	B．Go forward easily.
C．Live healthily and happily.	D．Think about new things.

2. What does Paragraph 3 tell us?

A．We should support different people.	B．Some people can push us to failure.
C．Confidence helps us make progress.	D．Different schools expect the same progress.

3. What does the writer say about slow progress?

A．It often goes smoothly.	B．It still means progress.
C．It sometimes stops progress.	D．It always gives us a clear mind.

4. Which word is close to the underlined word “setbacks”?

A．Prizes.

B．Advantages.

C．Excuses.

D．Difficulties.

5. Which can be a proper title for the text?

A．Ideas about Making Progress	B．Keys to Speeding up Progress
C．Meanings of Having Confidence	D．Suggestions on Relationships

5 .

Confucianism (儒家思想) has been followed by Chinese people for more than two thousand years.

To help people understand how to behave towards others, Confucianism teaches the Five Constants (五常). These are ren, yi, li, zhi and xin. They are general virtues (美德) around the world. The most important two are ren and li.

Ren is the feeling of care and love we should have for others. Confucius explained ren could best be understood as loving others. He is famous for teaching people “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others”. It is quite similar to what is known in the West as the Golden Rule (treat others as you wish to be treated).

While the meaning of ren is easy to understand, li is a little harder to express. It can be thought of as duty or even respect. Generally, li is the way we should connect with people in our everyday life. In Confucian writings, discussions about li include the proper way to drink tea and how to remember ancestors (祖先). While ren is mostly about our opinions and feelings, li is about how we express our opinions and feelings towards others and towards the world around us.

Perhaps the most well-known Confucian virtue is xiao. This is the duty children have to their parents. Xiao means loving, respecting, obeying and taking care of one’s parents in their old age. In Confucianism, xiao is important for a harmonious (和谐的) society: Without it, the whole world would fall into a mess.

1. Which are the most important of the Five Constants?

A．Ren and yi.

B．Ren and li.

C．Li and xin.

D．Yi and zhi.

2. What is the best Chinese for the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3?

A．博学于文，约之以礼。	B．学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。
C．己所不欲，勿施于人。	D．君子和而不同，小人同而不和。

3. Which of the following is an example of li?

A．Building a peaceful society.	B．Taking care of one’s children.
C．Obeying rules for drinking tea.	D．Learning all through one’s life.

4. What does the passage mainly tell us about Confucianism?

A．Its general virtues.	B．Its long history.
C．Its new challenges.	D．Its golden rules.

6 . Jerry is a world-famous mountain climber. He has climbed many high mountains in the world. Starting in 2015, he and his friends spent two years on an adventure（探险）in South America, covering 7,800 miles. He was even named Adventure of the Year by a famous geography magazine in 2018.

Although Jerry had achieved great success, he didn’t feel fulfilled. He asked himself, “Is it enough to climb the highest mountains? Am I doing something helpful? How can I turn my adventures into something that can help the world?”

Jerry learned that scientists need plants, rocks and water samples（样本）from the places far away to do research. But scientists can’t get there themselves as such places are hard to reach——only the bravest adventurers can make it. Jerry thought himself could do something to help. He then came up with an idea. He set up a team of top adventures to collect samples for scientists. By studying the samples, scientists could know more about the earth and find ways to protect it.

Recently Jerry and his adventurer friends have discovered a special plant life of Mountain Qomolangma. The samples they brought back have helped scientists how plants live in extreme（极端的）conditions.

For Jerry, this kind of adventure is most satisfying. “Such adventures had made us see life in a different way. Now, being the best climber isn’t important for me, what matters is doing something helpful while climbing the mountains. There is still much more we can do.” Jerry said to a newspaper.

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．Jerry’s friends.

B．Jerry’s achievements.

C．High mountains.

D．A geography magazine.

2. What does the underlined word “fulfilled” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Satisfied.

B．Lonely.

C．Patient.

D．Worried.

3. Why did Jerry set a team of top adventures?

A．To make friends.

B．To help scientists.

C．To study plants.

D．To train scientists.

4. Jerry’s and his friends’ adventures had changed ________.

A．their hobbies

B．their friendship

C．their understanding of life

D．their living conditions

5. Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．Dangerous Mountains Climbing.	B．Important Scientific Discoveries.
C．Plants Found on High Mountains.	D．Adventures Turned into Something Greater.

7 . Teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep per night. However, in adolescence (青春期) changes to the body’s sleep cycle make it difficult for teens to fall asleep early. Many cannot fall asleep until 10:30 p.m. or even later and most of them will feel sleepy if they have to get up too early.

Scientists recommend that both middle and high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Later school start times support the natural needs of teenagers and increase their sleeping time.

Here are some other benefits of later school start times:

More time for a healthy breakfast

When running late in the mornings, students are likely to go without breakfast. With an empty stomach, one finds it difficult to focus (集中) in class. When they are always in a hurry, students may form unhealthy eating habits.

With extra time before going to school, students can eat a well-balanced breakfast and focus more on learning.

Fewer behavioral (行为的) problems

Teens experience mood changes as a common result of this special period of life. Less sleep may cause worries, stress and unhappiness.

When they get enough sleep, students are calm and peaceful and their moods do not change suddenly. They’re less likely to feel worried, unhappy or get angry. For parents, children with more sleep are easier to live with.

Better performance (表现) in study

Sleep loss hurts attention, memory and brain development. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. Students with enough sleep can be more energetic during the day and more willing to learn. They are also less likely to fall asleep in class and more able to understand what they learn.

In conclusion, starting school later helps students get a better night’s sleep. It improves their chances of eating, behaving and performing better.

1. According to the passage, what may cause teenagers to stay up?

A．Their low grades.	B．Their empty stomachs.
C．Their body’s sleep cycle.	D．Their heavy homework.

2. How can sleep loss influence students’ study?

A．It gives them much energy.	B．It does harm to the brain.
C．It saves more time for study.	D．It improves their memory.

3. What’s the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?

A．To explain reasons for students’ stress.

B．To describe bad habits caused by sleep loss.

C．To discuss scientists’ research on healthy food.

D．To introduce benefits of later school start times.

4. In which part of the website can you probably find this passage?

A．Education.

B．Fashion.

C．Sports.

D．Technology.

8 . Why do We Yawn?

Do you yawn? There are about 20 reasons that scientists think are possible for yawning after research. They do not know exactly why yawning happens, but they do know many facts about yawning.

We know that everyone yawns in the same way. First you open your mouth slowly. Your mouth stays open for about five seconds. You take in a lot of air and then push it out. Then you quickly close your mouth. We also know that yawning is contagious. When you see someone yawn, you yawn, too.

Many people say they yawn because they are bored or tired. That might be true. People do often yawn before they sleep and after they wake up. However, we know that people also yawn when they are excited or nervous. Olympic runners, for example, often yawn before a race. Why is that? In 2007, scientists found that a yawn can help a warm brain cool down.

Some scientists believe that yawning makes you notice things more quickly. When you yawn, you breathe deeply. You also stretch (强化) the muscles (肌肉) in your face, mouth, and neck. Your eardrums stretch, too. Maybe this helps you to be quicker to notice things.

In some countries, people think yawning is not nice. People put their hands over their mouths to cover a yawn. In other countries, people think yawning is healthy. They think that opening the mouth very big can let good things in. When they breathe out, they think that bad things go out of the body with the air.

Scientists do not spend much time studying yawning. That is probably because yawning does not hurt. It is just something we do.

1. What does the underlined word “contagious” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Able to spread quickly.	B．Able to breathe easily.
C．Able to change easily.	D．Able to sleep quickly.

2. Why do Olympic runners often yawn before a race?

A．They are too tired or too bored.

B．A yawn can let good things in.

C．A yawn can help a warm brain cool down.

D．A yawn can stretch the muscles in their faces.

3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5?

A．Reasons for yawning.	B．Advantages of yawning.
C．Disadvantages of yawning.	D．Different ideas about yawning.

4. What can we probably infer from the passage?

A．People use different ways to yawn.

B．Scientists will do further research on yawning.

C．It’s hard to notice things quickly while yawning.

D．Some scientists think yawning is good for people.

5. What would be the best structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

9 . Bert won a national prize called Young Heroes for his “green” project. This public-spirited young person was now a university student. His love for insects grew deeper and he was protecting them for the future.

_________. When he was around 4 or 5, he always loved to watch different insects, especially beautiful swallowtails(凤蝶). One interesting fact he learned about swallowtails was that their bright colors warned hungry animals that they tasted bad. And it was also fun to watch how they came into being. But the reason he really fell in love with them was that they were very accessible. For example, if you wanted to attract (吸引) swallowtails, you planted some zinnias, a kind of bright flowers.

Bert started a zinnia garden at his house, where he raised a large number of swallowtails over the years. With the world’s swallowtail population falling, Bert wanted people to realize that if insects like swallowtails disappeared, so would all the others above them on the food chain. To make the fact clear and easy to understand for other students, he also created a zinnia garden at his junior high school.

Part of the joy for Bert was watching the younger students get excited when running after swallowtails. “Whenever a swallowtail lands on them, the young students will soon fall in love with these cute insects. They develop a new appreciation for them,” he said.

Bert put his efforts into the environmental educational project and made it take flight.

1. After Bert was honored with Young Heroes, _________.

A．he often gave speeches in public

B．he set up his “green” project

C．he became interested in swallowtails

D．he went on protecting insects

2. Which of the following can be put in _________?

A．Bert saved many swallowtails

B．Bert had a dull childhood

C．Bert found his love early in life

D．Bert made a hard decision

3. The underlined word “accessible” in paragraph 2 means “_________”.

A．dangerous to feed	B．easy to get close to
C．hard to raise	D．safe to reach

4. The main reason for Bert to create a zinnia garden at school was _________.

A．to watch students have fun

B．to make his school more beautiful

C．to stop swallowtails from disappearing

D．to help kids learn about swallowtails

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A Bright Flower

B．A Flying Project

C．A Green Garden

D．A Warning Action

10 . The summer vacation is on the way! Spend time on your computers or on your mobile phones? Stay at home and watch TV? Why don’t you join one of the following clubs to develop your new interests and hobbies?

	DANCE CLUB Like to dance? Come and join our club. Members meet from 2 pm to 5 pm on Mondays to practice dancing. There will be a big show in the end and your parents will be invited to watch your wonderful performance.
	COOKING CLUB Can you cook? No? Do you like cooking? Yes? Our club is the most popular one with more than 50 members. Members meet at 9 am every Sunday to learn to cook a dish. Then you can taste the delicious food cooked by yourself with your partners. Of course, you can also put your works on WeChat.
	PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB The club is perfect for students who love taking pictures. Members take courses on Fridays, from 9 am to 11 am. You will enjoy photos that top photographers have taken in the courses. The best teachers from art schools will also teach you how to take wonderful photos.
	CHESS CLUB If you are interested in improving your creativity and problem-solving ability, you can’t miss the chess club. Members meet at 2:30 pm on Wednesdays to play and study chess together. You will learn more about the knowledge and skills of playing chess.

1. Who will be invited to watch your performance in the dance club?

A．Your parents.	B．Your teachers.
C．Your friends.	D．Your classmates.

2. If Kate wants to learn how to make delicious food, what club can she join?

A．Chess club.

B．Dance club.

C．Cooking club.

D．Photography club.

3. How long do the courses last on Fridays in the photography club?

A．One hour.

B．Two hours.

C．Three hours.

D．Four hours.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．There will be a big show in the photography club.

B．Cooking club members meet at 9 am every Friday.

C．Dance club is the most popular one with more than 50 members.

D．Chess club can help improve your creativity and problem-solving ability.

5. What does the writer advise students to do during the summer vacation?

A．To use mobile phones.

B．To spend time on computers.

C．To stay at home and watch TV.

D．To develop new interests and hobbies.